1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to accounting device, communicating apparatus, and communication system which are suitable for use in a multimedia network or the like in which information such as motion image data, still image data, audio data, computer data, computer program, and the like is transmitted.
2. Related Background Art
In recent years, in association with the disposition of an optical fiber network in an arterial communication network, spread of a cable television system, practical use of a satellite communication, spread of a local area network, and the like, there is increasing what is called an information service industry such that an information provider provides various information to the user by using such a communication network and collects a charge in accordance with the contents and an amount of the information. In such a service, it is important to properly account to the user for the provided information to the user.
However, actually, technology for protection of information is not always in place and illegal use of a program or video image (including audio) information becomes a problem. Hitherto, in order to prevent illegal use, there has been used a method such that a copy preventing function is added, a hardware machine number added to a computer or the like is used and a software machine number corresponding to the hardware machine number is allocated to the software itself, those two machine numbers are collated at the time of executing the program, or the like. However, the copy preventing function is inconvenient at the time of a backup or the like, and the machine number collation is inconvenient with respect to a machine number management or a sale, so that there approaches are not practicable.
As for the above problems, a concept called a "super distribution" which intends to protect a right of a software-rightful person (i.e., a person who has the right to use/copy the software; hereinbelow referred to as an information provider) has peen proposed by Ryoichi Mori and has been disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Nos. 60-77218, 60-191322, 6468835, 2-44447, 4-64129, and the like. FIG. 19 shows a conceptual diagram of the "super distribution" disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 4-64129. In an information provider P, a permission or an inhibition of a use of a software PPi (or PPJ) as providing information formed by himself is discriminated in a CHECK unit on the basis of its software peculiar data PIDi (or PIDJ) and a condition of each USERID of a user's terminal station. When the software can be used, a use career of the providing information is recorded into an SH unit and the information provider P demands a use charge of the providing information or the like on the basis of the career. SSU denotes a software service unit including the above means.
However, there are the following problems in the "super distribution".
(1) In the "super distribution", whether the user is a person permitted by the information provider or not is judged by user-peculiar data such as USERID. Therefore, in order to realize the "super distribution", at least storing means for the user peculiar data is needed. In such a system, it is necessary for the user to previously make an application to the information provider for use of information, get his own USERID or the like, and register the USERID as user peculiar data. A procedure to make an application for use or a management of many various user peculiar data such as USERIDs is troublesome.
(2) To prevent the illegal use of information or to allow the information provider to grasp a use situation of his own providing information, the "super distribution" has to use software career storing means in order to realize the "super distribution" and the information provider needs to carry out a request of a charge to the user or the like on the basis of the history. In the "super distribution", since information is not sold but is treated in a rental manner, the use history is needed. According to such a system, a user's privacy such that which information the user used cannot be protected.
(3) Although the "super distribution" is means and system for accurately grasping the use situation of the providing information, namely, for correctly grasping the use charge, means or system regarding a payment of the charge is not included. In the "super distribution", therefore, after the information provider knew the use situation of the providing information, it is necessary to demand and collect the charge by another means.
(4) In the "super distribution", the information provider can execute the accounting operation regarding the use of his own providing information by the software peculiar data. When the providing information is information such as a computer program which the "super distribution" initially aimed to develop in which although a capacity is small, the use of it is valuable, it is sufficient. However, in case of information of a large capacity such as a real-time motion image or the like which is regarded as a main target to be treated in the recent multimedia, in a manner similar to the charge for use, a charge for transmission also occupies a large weight. However, the "super distribution" doesn't correspond to the accounting regarding a charge for use of a line in the network or a charge for use of a CPU or a terminal station of the multimedia. Therefore, a system can also carry out the accounting for providers such as transmission path provider and terminal station provider regarding the multimedia network other than the information provider is needed.
(5) In the "super distribution", a system which enables a terminal station to be properly used in consideration of various factors exerting influences on loads of the line and terminal station is not constructed yet.